Chapter 8

# 8 < Three Lives (7) >

***

Mom never had to bend her back in the fields because Dad would wave her off whenever she tried to help with farming. But that didn’t mean she sat idle at home. She was always cleaning the rooms, tidying the kitchen, and scrubbing the water station.

When Jin-hyeok came in after sweeping the yard, he saw Mom preparing a bunch of glutinous rice paste and chili powder.

“Mom, are you making gochujang?”

“Yeah, gotta make some. I’ll make you some stir-fried meat and tteokbokki too.”

Jin-hyeok nodded and glanced at the water station. He spotted an unwashed jar.

‘I should help Mom.’

Jin-hyeok immediately headed to what used to be the barn. He pulled out a few straws from the neatly stacked hay bales, dusted them off, blew on them, and washed them with water. Then, rolling them into a ball, he quickly made a traditional scrubber.

He scrubbed the outside of the jar and made a new straw scrubber for the inside.

‘Ugh, my arms can’t reach.’

It was the curse of his slightly longer-than-a-dog limbs.

The jar used for gochujang was too big, so even on tiptoe, he couldn’t reach the bottom. Struggling, he accidentally dropped the straw ball into the jar.

‘Ugh, darn it…’

Swallowing a curse that didn’t match his age or the era, he felt frustrated.

Lately, he’d been eating well, but growth seemed far off. Even though his knees and back tingled as if he were growing every day, he was still just a nine-year-old kid.

“Hup!”

It was just a little out of reach.

So, he stretched with all his might.

And then—thud! He fell right into the jar.

Panicked, he let out a universal cry.

“Mooooom!”

“Oh my!”

Hearing the pitiful echo from inside the jar, Han Yu-young rushed over in shock. Her face turned pale as she saw only Jin-hyeok’s short legs flailing from the jar.

They say women are weak, but mothers are strong. After a brief moment of panic, she grabbed her son’s ankles and pulled him out in one swift motion. In that moment, Han Yu-young was the goddess Thetis.

As Jin-hyeok was pulled out by his ankles, he thought seriously.

‘Is that why I’m strong like Achilles?’

If Mom grabs your ankles, you get stronger…

The order might be reversed, but the strength is real.

Actually, Mom isn’t particularly strong. Jin-hyeok, at nine years old, weighed only 22 kg, and the short, mischievous kid was light even for his petite mom.

‘I need to eat well and grow.’

It was a humiliating day, falling into a jar because of his short limbs.

He vowed never to forget this day.

Jin-hyeok looked at the jar and ignited his determination.

***

Whenever he had time, Jin-hyeok went fishing with Dad and strolled around the neighborhood holding Mom’s hand. He never skipped his morning and evening exercises.

Even during vacation, there were no exceptions. The neighbors gave him strange looks, but his parents cheered him on.

“Huff, huff, puff—”

He must’ve run a lot in his past life.

The first time he felt the thrill of running was the day he escaped the attic to go to the terminal after his college acceptance. He ran through the storm, his heart pounding. And he kept running whenever he could—during college, after joining the special forces.

‘Back in my army days, I was flying.’

Mountain runs were the most fun.

Even after discharge, he never stopped exercising. Pushing himself to exhaustion helped him sleep and quieted his restless mind.

He ran until his heart felt like it would burst, then did pull-ups, push-ups, and sit-ups. It was like the special forces circuit. Sweating and running until his breath smelled sweet, he endured loneliness and pain.

‘Now, I run just for fun.’

His short limbs made it hard to run fast, but it didn’t matter since he wasn’t competing with anyone. Jang Gun-i, the dog, kept him company and even fueled his competitive spirit.

Heheheh.

Though Jang Gun-i sometimes growled, they’d grown close. The Shih Tzu mix made tired noises when he started falling behind during their runs. Even without words, they communicated. Truly, Jang Gun-i was a remarkable dog.

‘The dog’s giving up first?’

Jang Gun-i, known in the neighborhood for his speed, was now struggling to keep up with nine-year-old Son Jin-hyeok in long-distance runs. Jin-hyeok’s stamina had surpassed the dog’s.

Jin-hyeok caught his breath and stretched his shoulders. He massaged his knees, thighs, buttocks, and ankles to stimulate growth and prevent injuries.

He grinned at Jang Gun-i.

“Hey, Jang Gun-i. Race you home. If you get there first, I’ll give you a fish.”

Heheheh.

Jang Gun-i, who had been resting, perked up at the word “fish” and stood up, drooling.

“Go!”

Thud-thud-thud!

Jin-hyeok’s feet pounded the unpaved road.

Heheheh.

Strange. Jang Gun-i was faster in short sprints, but his barks were fading into the distance.

‘Finally, I’m faster!’

Nope.

Looking back, Jin-hyeok cursed inwardly.

‘That damn dog!’

Jang Gun-i was cutting across the field, heading straight home.

A clear foul.

He ran every morning and evening, and with his parents around, he never had to worry about going hungry. He washed and brushed his teeth often to avoid catching colds.

‘Back then, I often went hungry and slept without washing.’

And so, winter came.

Kids grow in winter.

***

By December, homes with kids were busy decorating Christmas trees. Even Buddhist households did it, proving kids were the true unifiers of religions.

Jin-hyeok’s family was no exception. Though it seemed Dad was more excited.

“Jin-hyeok, wanna go cut a tree with Dad?”

“A tree?”

“To make a Christmas tree.”

This guy doesn’t even go to church, yet he wants a tree…

He probably just wanted to set the mood for his young son and wife.

Back then, most families cut trees for one-time use. Jin-hyeok thought cutting a tree for a moment’s joy wasn’t the best idea.

“Dad, can’t we just dig one up and plant it? Cutting it kills the tree.”

Dad looked stunned for a moment.

Our son’s got a unique mindset.

“But can we dig one up?”

The ground was frozen, and it’d be heavy. Plus, Son Kwang-yeon had no experience digging up trees. After ten years of farming, he now hired people for it. The only digging he did was with Jin-hyeok, catching worms or clams, or occasionally octopuses with the neighborhood men. He also dug up kudzu roots in the mountains.

Jin-hyeok spoke to his dad, who was frowning and pursing his lips.

“What if we buy a fir tree from Mi-kyung’s yard?”

“That could work. I’ll go ask.”

“I’ll come with you.”

Jin-hyeok packed a bunch of dried fish he’d stored.

Dad patted his head, proud. His son’s good intentions were clear.

‘We owe Mi-kyung’s family a lot.’

Until the end of summer vacation when he was ten, Choi Mi-kyung’s parents took care of Jin-hyeok. He stayed with them and Jang Gun-i for nearly nine months until his legal guardians showed up.

Even as an adult living in Seoul, Jin-hyeok often visited Mi-kyung’s family. After Mi-kyung married a banker, they still met for meals.

Mi-kyung’s family was like family to Jin-hyeok.

*

The Son father and son walked along the field path to Mi-kyung’s house.

Mi-kyung’s family was the second wealthiest in the neighborhood, having already built a two-story Western-style house.

The only two-story house in the area.

“Oh, I’ve never dug up a tree before. But if Jin-hyeok’s family asks, I’ll give it.”

That’s how Mi-kyung’s dad, Choi Jang-hwan, was.

Nine years ago, when Son Kwang-yeon, an outsider, came to the village, Choi Jang-hwan was the first to lend a hand, helping him settle and build a house.

Even as Jin-hyeok handed over the dried fish, he added, “Why’d you bring all this? We’ve got plenty at home.”

“Haha, Jin-hyeok insisted. We’re not asking for the tree for free. Please take it as a snack.”

“What money for a tree? Don’t say such things!”

Pretending to be upset, Choi Jang-hwan smiled warmly.

At first, he’d been worried about the thin Son Kwang-yeon and the pregnant Han Yu-young. Could they survive, being so poor? Could someone who’d never farmed before manage it?

But his worries were unfounded. They farmed well and even had a handsome son. Their good nature made the villagers help with their farming first. Now, they were the wealthiest in the village.

“Seeing you live like this makes me proud. Hup!”

“It’s all thanks to you, haha. Hup!”

Exchanging warm words, they struck the frozen ground with their picks.

The hard ground gave way to their skilled digging. When they’d dug deep enough, Choi Jang-hwan wiped his brow.

“Our Mi-kyung always talks about Jin-hyeok. It’s like we’ve got another son. Whew, it’s tiring.”

“Yeah, maybe. It’s hot. Haha.”

Just then, Mi-kyung brought out some warm rice water. Her pigtails swaying like car wipers were adorable.

After handing the rice water to the dads, Mi-kyung approached Jin-hyeok.

She seemed to have something important to say, fidgeting with her purple grandma shoes.

“Jin-hyeok, what are you doing during vacation?”

What else?

What do country kids do during winter break besides making snowmen and sledding? Even as he grew older, Jin-hyeok’s heart raced at the thought of sledding. He’d heard that cold winters meant good farming. He hoped this winter would be freezing so he could play and Dad could make a fortune next year.

Mi-kyung kept chattering, uninterested in Jin-hyeok’s plans.

“I’m going to Jeju with Mom and Dad. Cool, right?”

Cool.

Jeju was a honeymoon destination for city folks.

Jin-hyeok had been abroad many times but never to Jeju.

‘I think I went twice for work.’

I want to go to Jeju with Mom and Dad too.

It was a childish envy, but he kept it to himself. Mi-kyung got to the point.

“You’ll help me with my vacation homework again, right?”

Had he helped before?

Why couldn’t he remember?

“You’re so quiet when you read books.”

Come to think of it, he rarely talked to the other kids because their levels didn’t match. He just watched them play. That’s probably why the teacher called him mature.

“Oh, sorry. What homework?”

“A diary.”

This kid?

It was unintentional. Energy gathered in Jin-hyeok’s palm. He quickly pressed his left thumb on the inside of his right arm. His arm was trembling uncontrollably.

‘I almost lost it…’

This kid is like family! He suppressed his rising anger with extreme patience. If he hadn’t, Mi-kyung would’ve cried, and the neighborhood peace would’ve been ruined.

Phew—he closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

Mi-kyung’s family were benefactors and good neighbors. Choi Jang-hwan helped his clumsy dad in many ways, and Mi-kyung’s mom treated the lonely Han Yu-young like a sister.

Even Jang Gun-i. When the dog went missing, nine out of ten times, he’d be curled up in Mi-kyung’s dog bowl.

‘Alright, I’ve decided.’

It’s not like we’re the only three families here. Having good neighbors is a big help for the future.

After a long moment of contemplation, Jin-hyeok opened his mouth.

“…I’ll do it.”

He was angry at compromising with injustice but didn’t cry. He was a man, after all.

But it was a solemn moment. His expression contrasted with his clear child’s voice, showing his discomfort at promising to cheat.

Still, Mi-kyung’s bright smile eased his guilt a little.

‘Peace like a river…’

Overflowing.